Written by: Adele Chee, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. The word “authenticity” used in business texts has tripled in the last decade. With this much being said, have we fully comprehended what this word means and why is it important to be authentic? For me, being authentic is to be accountable for being present to yourself. That is, to be consistent in expressing yourself in a way that aligns with your internal sense of self. When you’re in tune with yourself, you will create a life where your passions thrive as you genuinely offer your unique contribution to the world; and experience fulfillment when you achieve what you truly want and not based on societal pressures or cultural norms. This will see you grow and realise more for yourself and others around you, because you do not waste time and energy on things that don't align with who you are, especially on trying to be someone else. How can you be accountable for being present to yourself? As you progress towards your goals, remember to always be unapologetically R.E.A.L. – Recognise, Engage, Attend, Love. Recognising your progress, big or small will help accelerate you further. So take that pause to celebrate and reward yourself for the advancements you have made. Even if you’re facing a disappointing moment. In fact, especially when you’re facing a disappointing moment. Because progress is you taking the action to work towards achieving your goals; it is you learning what else can be done or how it can be done differently, and progress is definitely you overcoming obstacles. So, cheers to YOU! Engaging with your inner voice will help you discern your next course of action because you’ll be reminded of your values, strength, vision, and purpose. So take time to check in with yourself and reflect. Are you still living your values? Have you acquired new strengths on this journey? Is your vision still clearly in view? Are you realising the true motivations for your purpose? Noticing the changes in yourself will help provide further clarity of who you are, who you want to be, and what you want to achieve. Attending to yourself is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Just like a machine, if we’re not well-oiled or if something that needs fixing isn’t fixed, our output won’t be optimal. So, make time for self-care in your goal-chasing plans in order to run like clockwork because you'll always be charged up and ready to go. This doesn’t just mean scheduling a spa day once a month. It is daily, be conscious of what you’re feeding yourself - your mind, soul, and body. Notice what you’re constantly accepting to tell yourself. Pay heed to how you’re feeling and notice the source of this emotion. Consider the nourishments that you put into your body, including the air that you breathe. Just as importantly, ensure that you get your limbs moving - especially, for the purpose of getting all the good vibes circulating your entire being. Love yourself. This is the most important part of all in being authentic. If you haven’t got love inside you for yourself, then what passion are you going to give to the work that is required to achieve your goal? The more love you have for yourself, the more love you have to give. Then, you will realise more for yourself as well as those around you. I hold dear this quote from Sophie Bush, “You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress, simultaneously.” To simplify, you're enough. So, you do you. Be you. If you need an accountability partner to support you in being R.E.A.L., please schedule a FREE 30-min session with me. For more info, follow me on LinkedIn, or visit my website! Read more from Adele! Adele Chee, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Adele is a transition coach and mentor. Committed to seeing a world filled with thriving individuals living their lives authentically, she created the S.P.A.R.K.© self-alignment model and programme, to help professionals and entrepreneurs around the world leverage their strengths and overcome their fears to transition into having a purpose-driven life. She believes that having clarity and alignment of one’s values, strengths, vision and purpose - “core elements” of oneself - are essential in enabling a person to take ownership and be the agent of their own life. This is because when you are certain of who you are and what you want, and they are in alignment, you will live your life authentically as you achieve ambitions that fulfill you. Her idea of a fulfilling life is to live a life of choice where you can achieve your dreams without succumbing to the pressures of society. Her determination and resilience to experience this life aspiration see her realising her 3 life goals - travel the globe, help others lead a better life, and write; alongside her successful 15-year international corporate career prior to starting her own coaching practice during a global pandemic.

Liz Merrill is a Mediator and a Divorce Coach with a specialization in High Conflict and Narcissistic relationships. She lectures regularly on high conflict divorce strategies and is a sought-after speaker and podcast guest. She also engages in regular pro bono work for families who are experiencing financial hardship and offers pro bono services through various nonprofits and the Colorado Court system. Her understanding of psychological and physiological reactions to trauma, conflict, and anxiety brings a holistic approach to her work with families caught in the High Conflict cycle. After her own litigious high-conflict divorce, she saw the need for a holistic approach to divorce mediation, which included non-violent communication skills, managing trauma, and an understanding of how personality traits and personality disorders create high conflict in a divorce. When she started working as a mediator for the courts, she discovered how badly equipped most divorce professionals are to manage the specific needs of people in high conflict relationships and how damaging it can be to the individuals and, most importantly, the children and family systems. Now she helps hundreds of people in crisis find workable solutions so they can reduce anxiety, save money, and move on with their lives. Liz Merill, Mediator And Divorce Coach Who is Liz? I’m Liz Merrill, divorce mediator, and divorce coach. I live in Fort Collins CO with my three teenagers, my two dogs, and a cat - it’s a busy household! I love working with people in conflict, but it’s ironic because I myself am quite conflict-avoidant! I actually specialize in high conflict relationships and divorces and I’m extremely passionate about this work, in part because I was married to a “high conflict person” for over 20 years and went through a long and litigious divorce, which sucked! I think with better support and information earlier on, could have sucked less. I’ve spent the last 5 years of my life supporting other people, women, and men, who are going through similar experiences. I’ve helped hundreds of people navigate their relationships, divorces, their own “high conflict situations”. I run multiple support groups and workshops for men and women, I speak regularly on the subject, and the reason is that it’s become clear to me that it’s a rising, widespread problem in this country. You certainly see it reflected not just in family court, but in the politics and social issues around us and everywhere in between. I was surprised at first by the number of people who contact me about mediation when what they actually need is support with a high conflict partner. So I’ve started doing a lot of work helping parties prepare for mediation, preparing for their divorce, navigating their divorce, liaising with other divorce professionals, and so forth. So, what I’ve discovered, when I started researching it, is that narcissism is on the rise in this country, according to many studies. Yes, It’s a buzzword that people are talking about everywhere – and for a while, I thought it was just people overusing the word. But then I started talking to more and more people who really WERE in relationships with narcissists. They are in abusive relationships And like most forms of domestic abuse, this happens privately, behind closed doors. People are isolated and often feel like no one understands their situation, from their own friends and family to divorce professionals and the court...they really need support from someone who understands what that’s like on a personal and a professional level. Much of this is very hard to prove and the court and divorce professionals often have a hard time parsing out. Our courts and many of our divorce professionals don’t always have the training, background, interest, or bandwidth in learning how to manage it. And that’s why I’ve started specializing in high conflict relationships - it can very quickly turn into a very abusive situation, especially in the adversarial landscape of divorce. I think that early intervention and education are vital for both divorce professionals and clients. What’s your background? My background is kind of interesting and certainly unusual for a divorce mediator: i spent most of my adult life playing oboe professionally! It’s true! I used to (not so much these days) travel around the country (and sometimes out of the country) to play oboe professionally in orchestras. It’s work that is extremely grueling, but also very rewarding. One of the things that I loved about playing in ensembles, from small chamber groups to massive symphony orchestras, is that we are all trained to listen deeply and to literally “vibe” with the people we’re playing with. In many ways, I think these skills serve me well as a mediator and a coach. What is it that you do for your clients? Working with parties in mediation particularly requires the ability to listen and “vibe” with both sides. If I am able to get both parties to feel heard and safe, then we are more likely to be able to come to a place where they can relax their positions and go beneath the surface to talk about what the issues really are. Because it’s usually not just about the money, is it? It can be about what something represents, a connection that’s been lost, or feelings that have been hurt. I love helping parties who come in seemingly a million miles apart resolving their issues in a way that feels aligned and compliable. When I am coaching an individual who is going through a divorce, I definitely have to listen deeply and help the client feel safe and heard! A lot of my clients are in a “trauma bond” with their spouse or partner and it’s so important to hold space for them so we can work on calming their nervous system. I use some simple somatic techniques that are very effective in descalating emotions and creating disengagement, which is so useful when divorcing a high-conflict person. Other things I do for coaching clients involve helping them navigate the landscape with their divorce: we work together to prepare materials for their attorney, put together a team of divorce professionals, when appropriate. When they have a mediation coming up (not with me), I’ll help them prepare for that - same with court. Believe it or not, clients with a divorce coach actually end up saving thousands of dollars in legal fees because they are getting the support that helps them be a “better” client for their attorneys and CDFAs, and they learn powerful communication, negotiation, and disengagement skills, which can help in and out of the courtroom. What do you mean by high conflict? The term “high conflict personality” is in many ways a euphemism for a narcissist or borderline, but the nature of these personality disorders means that they aren’t likely to present themselves for a diagnosis. So we use the term “high conflict” in divorces instead of personality disorder, but really it’s a description of behavior, hallmarked by long-term patterns of interpersonal dysfunction, lack of reflection on their own behavior, lack of change, black or white thinking, and so forth. Who should hire/work with you? Who should hire me? Well, anyone who is in a conflict that they can’t manage! A lot of times we have conflicts in our lives that we live with, but don’t manage. That can, of course, lead to divorce, broken relationships with family members or co-works, loss of work, and more. What I love about working in mediation and this field in general, is that that work is all about relationships. And getting in there and doing the nitty-gritty work that is involved in learning about the root causes of conflict can ultimately improve someone’s life from top to bottom - not just around that one area of conflict. It can also help people potentially save tens of thousands of dollars. What is your big goal? Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now? Well, my big goal is to see my 3 teenagers grown, happy, and independent, of course! Professionally I want to grow my business and the work that I do so that I can one day pass it on to one of my kids, who may be interested in carrying on my work. I think it’s so valuable, I really do, especially in today’s climate where there is so much conflict and so little productive dialog. I think if people could really talk, listen, and hear each other without getting just completely reactive and escalated, we could get to the deeper reasons behind peoples’ fears and maybe even realize that at the end of the day, we all want basically the same things. At least that’s my hope. I think that conflict resolution skills transcend political and geographical boundaries and with a little effort, a little training, we can transform the relationships we have with other people, cultures, religions, and politics. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Liz!

Written by: Sonya Furlong , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise . It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of taking professional strides while forgetting the foundation of a successful life - self-development. While self-care is a hot topic, I’m bringing a new meaning to that idea, turning it into a productive and necessary practice that will help you unlock your potential and achieve every goal you set for yourself. Here’s how… Pay attention to your personal development Entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, once said: “Your level of success will seldom exceed your level of personal development”. So many of us get caught up in reaching a destination or an idea of success that we often forget that it is what we invest in our own mindset and personal growth that will get us to the level of success we desire. It’s in the daily habits and small changes we make when working towards our goals that we unlock truly meaningful change, so it makes sense to pay attention to your personal development and allow your progress to better serve your goals. If you want a more successful life, whether that be in your career, your family life, your relationships or health, you need to put effort into learning more about yourself and strengthening your self-awareness. Ask yourself, what are your good and bad habits? What limitations do you face, and how can you overcome them? Perhaps you tend to self-sabotage or allow communication blunders to derail your progress. It could be defensiveness that gets in your way, financial restraints or an inability to handle the pressure. Recognising your downfalls and putting in the work to fine-tune your life skills, can dramatically change your thinking, empower your self-belief, unlock your ability to set and achieve your goals and lead you to a more successful life. Be clear on your goals There are five main principles of success. We'll get to the rest another time, but for now, all you need to focus on is the first one, know your outcome. It seems like an obvious part of goal setting; however, too many people make grand statements or generalisations and end up getting distracted or demotivated by a lack of clear direction on the road to success. Being clear and concise about your goals and the outcomes you want to achieve helps you set actionable steps that will not only see you make progress but maintain your positive new habits long-term. When it comes to making your goals clear, there are several activities you can do: Write down your goals as SMART goals: Specific – what exactly do you want? Measurable – what is the tangible evidence that you have achieved it? Attainable – you want it to be a stretch by still realistic and achievable. Reward – how will you celebrate when you have achieved this goal? Time-based – give an exact date by when you want to achieve this goal. Put these goals somewhere you can see them every day, whether in a list that goes on the fridge or reminders in your phone. These statements will help keep you focused on moving forward in the right direction to the outcomes you want, allow you to assess how productive your goals are, truly understand why you want to achieve them, and how you’re going to do that. Read these goals aloud every day, it keeps them real and fresh in your mind and builds the habit to focus on what you want (and not on what you don’t want!). Enlisting a mentor or professional's help is also a great way of setting clear goals and staying accountable. Just like you’d seek the help of a personal trainer to get you through your gym routine, someone to guide you through your journey of self-development and goal setting is a worthwhile investment. Set strong boundaries There’s a fine line between the admirable traits of selflessness and compassion and allowing people to take advantage of you. In many cases, we're guilty of doing it to ourselves by being too appeasing, always apologising for things we say or do, or putting other peoples' needs above our own. Without strong boundaries in place, you’ll quickly find that you don't allow yourself space or time you need to work on your goals and find success. When you do set yourself some personal and emotional boundaries, you’ll be able to stand up for yourself, be vocal about what you need and enable others to help you along the way. You’re still able to act with compassion and show respect, but ensure you’re always showing that level of respect to yourself first. Prioritise self-compassion Beyond setting strong boundaries for yourself and those around you, it’s important to practice the art of self-compassion and give yourself the support you need to succeed. A significant aspect of self-compassion is trusting your gut and following your intuition. It’s about being in touch with yourself to trust that you know what to say yes to, what to say no to, when you need a break or to change your course. It’s also about being easy on yourself and trusting the process. We can all be guilty of wanting everything right now, so it takes a great amount of patience to be able to consistently take action without getting frustrated that we’re not as advanced as we want. As long as you’ve set SMART goals, are putting the time in to work on yourself, as well as reflect on and celebrate your progress, you should trust that success will be the natural result of your efforts. Want to learn more from Sonya? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin or visit her website . Read more from Sonya! Sonya Furlong, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sonya Furlong, based in Sydney Australia, is a Certified Trainer of NLP and Matrix Therapies, Life Coach, Therapist, Meditation Teacher, and Devotional Singer. After battling depression as a teenager Sonya discovered meditation and it literally saved her life. In her late 20s she was introduced to personal development and using the principles of success she learnt through her studies, went on to a successful career in the film industry, culminating in winning the Australian Academy Award. Sonya wanted to use her powers to help humanity and dedicated her life to the study and teaching of personal and professional development. Sonya believes everyone can live a happier, more fulfilling life, no matter what has happened to them in the past. Sonya runs the Centre for Life Therapies, an online wellness hub that offers transformational healing through trainings, group coaching, and private sessions.

Written by: Paul Tinker, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. This is my first article Brainz magazine so I felt somewhat compelled to write an introduction to how I find myself even here today. I hope that this story will inspire someone else to realise this very simple change to their thought process… like it did for me. Come back with me to 2003 where it all started to go downhill for me. I find myself behind firstly held at gunpoint on an airport floor with the muzzle of Heckler & Koch MP5 rifle pressed to the back of my neck, the cold steel I can still feel today when I think about that day. That morning, in front of my then wife and young daughter, was been shunted to a cell along with 9 others….. in a foreign country. The worst part – I did not speak the language so I couldn’t understand or communicate with the other being held or the soldiers holding me. This was probably one of the scariest moments in my life, being held captive in the darkness, in an unknown place, unable to communicate, surrounding by shouting, screaming and violence. I was serving in the British Military at the time, overseas on what it is considered to be a privileged posting in the sun. I paid no such respect to that honour at the time and was chasing success through money. A the time – thinking that money was the only measure of success – the more I had – the more successful I would be. How wrong I was about that – see a stint in a Turkish ran Cypriot prison cell, a significant financial penalty, a divorce, and a punishment posting from the military makes you realise that very quickly. I, however, did not learn this that day – I continued to chase the money. I get back to the UK where I was sent to become a training instructor to young recruits, which was rewarding from a professional level but not financially. I couldn’t get my “extras” here. So I took up part time security work in the field of close protection at weekends and evenings to bring in some extra cash – this earned me some more money – but cost me my marriage at the time. I couldn’t work it out – I am bringing in the money – and my marriage breaks down? How does that even work? So, as I was now single I leave the military after a 14-year career and move to the north of England to find professional construction work in managing construction sites – very quickly I rose through the ranks and found myself heading up a small division of global organisation delivering national framework refurbishment projects. This was a high ticket, high salary, company Range Rover, 4 x apartments around the UK, flying to work by jet – from the outside, I had it all. I held my marriage together this time. I did not do the same for my health. I became a fully functioning alcoholic and abused the drink for around 4 years, seeing off 5 points of strong beer, a bottle of red wine and half bottle of Jack Daniels on a daily basis. I was in a very dark place until I realised I was literally drinking myself to death – I was set to be one of the wealthiest men in the graveyard if something didn’t happen quickly. What was causing this behaviour – the job? Stress? The marriage? My family? Others? I couldn’t figure it out until I attended a personal development course, which I was very dubious and nervous about but embraced it. The behaviour was being caused by me. Nothing else. All of the reasons I was looking for were all excuses, justifications, and BS that I was using to give myself a reason for behaving that way. In that one fleeting moment – I became aware of it all and made the conscious decision to change my life completely. I removed all of the triggers that I had for the behaviour – including my 6 figure salary job, the car, the apartments, the jets – everything. I threw it all in and focused on myself. I stopped drinking in that moment and haven’t touched a drop for just over 3 years at the time of writing this and built several successful businesses since doing so. The turning point for me – was the awareness and acceptance for what I had become and what I was “being” and realising that decision to change started with one simple decision to do it. My military training and high levels of discipline that were possible when applied kicked in and took the action I know I needed to take to make those changes. One of those businesses, in particular, is my training business where I train property investors to make more profit from their refurbishment projects, I work with people who are and were just like me – and I make changes to their lives through coaching, training and accountability. My life now is completely unrecognisable. I stopped chasing the money and focused on adding value and my self – when you can make this shift – the results simply follow. Follow me on Facebook, or visit my website for more info! Paul Tinker, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ex-military training instructor, left the military following a term in a Greek Cypriot prison to try a career in close protection, Paul quickly made the decision to go to the construction industry. He spent 13 years in the corporate world of property refurbishment completing over £300M in revenue After a stint of alcoholism - he turned his life around and found entrepreneurialism and became a multi-business owner now training property investors to make more profit from their refurbishment projects alongside his construction business

Written by: Ana Angelique, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Somewhere along with the evolution of the human race and the development of communication, we seem to have mastered the art of being incredibly elusive, aloof, indirect and sometimes completely misleading with what we say and what we mean. Most often, it’s out of politeness; Politeness for asking how someone is, telling them that you’ll see them soon, or promising that you’ll catch up. In almost all cases, we don’t care how the other person is, we have no intention of seeing them soon, and we’ll catch up with them when the sun stops rising and setting. As a result, most of what we say is simply automated, such as asking someone how they are as part of a “hello” greeting, when in actual fact, you’re really just saying the full polite (automated) greeting, when you should have just left it at “hello”. The same thing happens when we respond to those questions: We give automated answers. This means that in response to a greeting such as “Hi, how are you?” we typically respond with something like “Hi, good thanks” and we do it without thinking. If we did stop and think about it, I’d bet that most of the time, “good” wouldn’t accurately describe how we’re feeling or doing, but since we also unconsciously know that the person who just greeted us doesn’t really care, we don’t bother telling the truth. They asked because they were being polite. A standard response was given because we were being polite. Seems a bit pointless. Then there’s the poor use of communication in task setting. These are the times when you’re given a task to do, but the instructions aren’t clear. At best, they’re vague with many components being implied where you’re expected to instinctively know that these things should be included or considered when completing the task. Generally, the reality is that you don’t know them, or don’t know all of them, but you also don’t ask for clarification because you’re expecting to receive answers that are just as vague and unhelpful as the task itself. Or maybe you’re the one setting the task and you’re not being specific about what you want. Either way, when the task is “done” according to the person that completed it, there’s a good chance that they’ll get in trouble for not completing the task “as instructed” because they misinterpreted the vague request in the first place or forgot to include an assumption that was never given. Have we evolved to being able to read minds? I don’t think so. At least, not for many of us. There are countless instances that happen daily in workplaces, schools, homes and even on the street, when people do a half-hearted attempt to communicate, and then get cranky when they’re misunderstood. Why? Because simply talking, is not communicating. Wouldn’t it be easier if we just said what we meant and meant what we said? There’s a lot of wasted effort put into trying to obtain answers, chasing the wrong things, or coming to the wrong conclusions, all because the information wasn’t communicated clearly enough in the first place. Sure, some things are implied but when we’re all busy with a million other things going on in our lives (and heads) at any point in time, being clear, straightforward, honest, and specific, would make a world of difference. Let’s explore this further. 1. If you’re not interested in the answer, don’t ask the question. There’s being polite, small talk and then there’s talking for the sake of talking so that there is no silence; But there is nothing wrong with silence. Many of us would prefer silence over meaningless talk. (Also noting that as an adult, you’re allowed to excuse yourself and leave if you find the silence awkward.) The same goes for asking how someone is – please only ask if it you actually want to know the answer, because I know that personally, I will actually tell you how I’m really feeling, as shocking as that may be; And I know that I’m not the only one. The same goes for the reverse: When you ask how someone is or ask how their weekend was, you should genuinely want to know. Allow the time for the other person to talk and for you to listen. Maybe even ask more questions along the way, but only ask because you want to know the answer. Isn’t that the point of questions anyway? Asking to find the answer? It also seems more polite to only ask what you want an answer to, so that you’re not wasting the other person’s time. 2. If you don’t want to agree to something, don’t give the other person false hope. How many times have you bumped into someone randomly, chatted for a while, and the conversation ends with something like “we should grab a coffee and really catch-up”, with the (general and automated) reply being something like “yeah sure, let’s do that sometime” and then nothing happens… ever? Why say that you want to get together with someone when in fact, you don’t see a point in doing so or you simply don’t want to? I know that it’s polite, but isn’t it better to just say “good chat” and leave it at that, rather than giving someone false hope? Or assuming that they know that you have no intention of ever seeing them again? Similarly, if the situation is a date or something similar, and it turned out to be with someone that you have no interest in ever seeing again, why not just say that it’s not working for you and part ways? Awkward? Perhaps. But it’s a simpler outcome in the end. 3. If you can’t answer the question asked, then you probably don’t know the answer. There is never anything wrong with saying “I don’t know”. No one is expected to know everything and it’s much better to tell someone that you don’t know, instead of skirting around the answer or talking about something that has nothing to do with what was asked. And if you’ve been asked something that you’re expected to know the answer to, but you don’t, take it upon yourself to finding the answer and getting back to the person who asked. Neither is difficult to do. 4. If you’ve done something wrong, the quicker you admit to it, the quicker it can be corrected. Mistakes happen. Accidents happen. And it’s easier to work on fixing things if you (and anyone else involved) take ownership of what was done wrong. This isn’t about blame. This is about knowing the truth so that the right changes can be made and the right solutions to problems can be found, because all the facts are known. So taking ownership for your part in a situation can make all the difference. 5. If you can’t simplify something that is complex, then you probably don’t completely understand it. What’s the point in making things seem overly complex? None. At least not unless you’re trying to make yourself feel and sound so much smarter than the person you’re talking to, and if that’s your aim, you’ve probably just achieved the opposite. To be able to explain something, you need to understand it completely. Being able to break something down into understandable components, shows the other person that you understand the topic in so much detail, that you’re able to simplify it for them – maybe even many times over, until they understand it. So either keep it simple or just say that you don’t know it enough yourself, to be able explain it any further. 6. If you can’t clearly state what you want, then it’s unlikely that you know what you want. Do you give yourself enough time to think about what you want before you start asking for it? Or do you run on adrenaline and bounce between assigned tasks? If it’s the latter, do you just jump into tasks based on the initial details or do you clarify or ask further questions, so that you know for certain what the task is? Not being specific in any type of relationship, whether you’re the one giving the instruction or receiving it, is like asking a tailor to make you a pair of blue pants by Saturday, but not specifying the cut, the style, the material, the measurements, who the pants are for, and which Saturday you want them by. You can’t be upset with the tailor when you get given something that meets all those requirements but is nothing like you had in mind. Assuming or implying does not equal understanding. Yes, in this situation the tailor should have asked some questions, but you should have been clearer with your instructions in the first place. The onus isn’t just on the other person to be clear about is wanted. Everyone has a part to play. 7. Don’t riddle your sentence with acronyms or abbreviate words if there’s a chance that the other person won’t understand. We live in a world where we love to shorten everything. Common phrases are reduced to a few letters, whilst other words are simply shortened. Without getting into the fact that most people cannot spell anymore, don’t use shortened versions of words or phrases if there’s a chance that the other person will misunderstand it. If you must use an abbreviated version, write the full word or phrase out first, include the abbreviation in brackets, and then you can continue to use the abbreviated version because you’ve already included the explanation of what it was. (Basic high school English class stuff.) Remember that you’re not going to get any extra brownie points for being able to write a complete sentence using the least number of whole words, and like one of the previous points, it’s not going to make you look or sound any smarter either. Remember that the average person will sit there struggling for a very long time, as they try to figure out what any abbreviation means (sometimes even coming to the wrong conclusion of the full meaning) before they muster up the courage to ask. My challenge to you For the next seven days, I’d like to challenge you to only say exactly what you mean. I’m not asking you to be rude. I’m asking you to be clear, concise and only ask questions that you actually want an answer to. When answering questions, I’d like you to ensure that you answer the actual question instead of rambling on about what you think the other person needs to hear. In addition, just like your mother probably taught you, if you have nothing nice to say or nothing constructive to add to a conversation, keep your mouth shut. At the end of the week, reflect on how many times you had to stop yourself from going into auto question or answer mode, auto talking-to-fill-in-the-silence, and just talking for the sake of talking. Consider whether being so straightforward, clear, and really communicating, made things easier for you. Is this something that you should continue? Admittedly, you may need to tweak a few things before it becomes second nature, but simple is usually better. Follow Ana on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin or visit my website for more info! Read more from Ana! Ana Angelique, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine After overcoming some major life challenges on her own, Ana Angelique believes that others shouldn’t have to struggle in silence; Life is complex enough, but it is also beautiful, and it should be enjoyed. As a well-being life coach and mentor, Ana’s positive approach to life, her captivating and addictive energy, and her creative thinking enable her to empower her clients to take charge of their future and regain control. She has an insider’s perspective - one that’s been gained from an international corporate background, that enables her to relate to and understand, the real challenges faced by people every day. Thought-provoking, persuasive, and inspirational, Ana has natural teaching abilities and is known for her unique perspective on situations.

Written by: Cathy Dimarchos, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. I hear you through the silence. Many women, especially in business, opt to stay silent and listen to where the conversation might land before they start to share their ideas. But if we, as leaders sitting around a boardroom table, as executives, and as mothers do this, what are we showing others around us – more importantly what are we showing our future generation – our children? How can you possibly succeed in life and in business if you don’t say want you mean and ask for what you need? I recently did a Tedx talk about what I have been seeing in the business world and what I anticipate will happen by 2040. It is about what is happening right now and what has happened for centuries. So please take the time to pause and consider the impact of what we were taught as young girls so that we can bring about the changes that we want to see in the world. “Children should be seen and not heard.” How many women have been raised with the belief that “children should be seen and not heard?” I had a client shared this with me again recently – a common experience that is often raised as I work with women across the globe, a common upbringing no matter the culture, in fact, no matter the gender. I have seen the impact this has had in people’s personal lives’ and in business. It has a ripple effect in everything we do – how we connect, how we communicate (or not) and how we subconsciously impact our children, our future generation. Staying silent is saying “No”. It prevents us from sharing our voice and when we don’t stand up for what is our truth, what we show others is that it is what is expected of us. I by no means think this is an easy pattern or belief to change, but I have recognised the power in being seen and in standing by the person, the woman, the child who is prepared to share their views, their voice so that they feel like they are being heard. Share your voice and what resonates for you so those around you feel like they have permission to do to the same. This simple concept of saying what you feel, what you want and what you mean has diminished over time. Whether it is in person, on the phone, in an email, or by standing on stage for the world to hear, we seem to have lost the art of being truthful and keeping it simple and ensuring that what is received is what was intended. Early on in my career I attended a training day – “Writing for Lawyers”, whilst I was not in law, I was involved in a lot of litigation work so I thought it would be an appropriate training for me to attend. This course left an imprint on me, something that I have taken away and live by because it made me realise that no matter what we do, we always deal with people. No matter what we are trying to achieve, communication needs to be honest. That means that sometimes, we need to go against the grain and listen to what is being said. So, why is NO such a strong word in business? Why do we follow a path that has not proven itself but forms part of a process that can be done differently, better, quicker? I have often gone against the grain. As I look back on my life, my career, I have recognised that I have drawn on lived experiences that have made me stop to think before I step forward, and I stand in the small percentage that dares to be different. As I look at the training earlier in my career, I have also recognised that I had taken away 3 key learnings: Write and talk to the lowest denominator in your audience Keep words simple and don’t use jargon Make the person receiving the information feel as smart as you if not smarter. Over the years this has clearly stuck in my mind. It was evident to me that this training was to show me what was important in any process - the people you were amongst. To succeed we must enable and empower those around us to take action. If the information they need to succeed is clear, simple and achievable to be able to move forward, and most importantly, not to make them feel like they were any less important than you or that they are a failure, then they will take action. Knowledge is only of value when shared because it is how we create impact and elevate others. As we speak to our peers, our children, our colleagues, let’s do it with the intent that we want them to succeed without them having to second guess what we are saying. So much time and energy is invested when we connect and communicate so let’s ensure those around know exactly what we want to say and let them know what is important. Lets prevent and minimise the second guessing or what may be the intention behind what we say. Let’s contribute to making sure our intent is simple and for the success of others. As we step forward in life and in business, let’s place those around on a platform where we look to elevate and encourage differences. Let’s encourage out future generation to create what is yet to be a dream. Want to learn more from Cathy? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website. Read more from Cathy! Cathy Dimarchos, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Cathy Dimarchos is an award-winning business advisor, mentoring and coaching leaders internationally, and is an indefatigable philanthropist who believes we can all contribute to lifting the baseline of people across the world one person at a time. She founded Solutions2you with the purpose of impacting so that she can serve others and leave a lasting imprint. As a professional advisor and motivational voice, Cathy dedicates her time to perfecting a combination of people, business, and situational skills. Her values take center stage, and business becomes honest and expressive. She believes that knowledge exchange leads to self-reliance with effective and sustainable outcomes. Her Advisory services extend to New and Established Entrepreneurs, teams, and large corporates and support people to become antifragile in a world that is forever changing, stretching their boundaries. “When we rise, it is important to also lift those around us” — Cathy Dimarchos.

Written by: Carla Barber, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Memories. Memories are original, one-of-a-kind experiences that unite us all. And we share our stories. Those that are amusing. Ones that are heartbreaking. Ones that make us feel good. Those that are inspiring. The list of how they make us and the people we tell to feel is infinite. But the treasure isn't in the feeling or interpretation; the treasure is in the content itself! Every tale we tell, no matter how detailed, will be interpreted differently by each person who hears it. A unique set of images, feelings, and thoughts which creates another version of our story usually without realisation. So, what's the point of writing your own life story? Wouldn't it just be a massive compilation of all the stuff we've gone through? Well… Yes! That is precisely the point. Be honest, how frequently do you take the time to reflect on and learn from your own experiences... particularly those that don't make you feel good? And I don't mean how you've been treated by others; I mean how you've allowed that treatment to manifest since. This was something that was recommended during my CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) for my, at the time, out-of-control depression and anxiety. Despite my questions and reactance, my Therapist didn’t tell me the reason behind the suggestion to write my own story, although I discovered it rapidly during. My resistance and hesitation were because I was terrified of facing the not-so-nice entries I thought I'd "let go" of - I say "let go" because I hadn't, I'd locked them up in a room in my head, guarded by all the Elves in Middle Earth. Of course, unless we have a lot of spare time, we won't be able to write our own stories in a few weeks or months, it takes as long as it takes. I wrote down a past tense and current tense version of each memory, one memory at a time ensuring to include all feelings, thoughts, and emotions I could recall. Within a year, I had written down almost all of my memories, good, bad, and ugly. Then I sat down and read it, and it gave me so much! Answers to my own questions regarding who I am and why I act the way I do sometimes. I got answers to questions I didn't even realise I had. And, questions to ask others in search of answers to fill in any curious blanks. As someone who was adopted by my biological mother's adoptive parents, I used to struggle with confusion and closure. Like a detective in my own crime drama, I'd become obsessed with finding answers and wouldn't stop until I found them. During this activity I learned, however, that by creating my own partial biography and learning and reflecting on it, I had all of my answers. I didn't need to be having these unpleasant conversations or intense arguments with people. All I had to do was be present in the moment, process what my thoughts and feelings are signaling to me, and figure out what changes I need to make to become the person I want to be… because the stereotyped hot-headed, red-headed, Leo wasn’t it. Therefore, I encourage you to begin doing the same and not to overthink it. Begin wherever and however feels right. I strongly encourage writing by hand because when we remove technology, the process is generally slower, allowing the brain to think while writing and enabling us to write more. Write down the first memory that comes to mind in a very detailed version, then progress to others in no particular order and arrange them chronologically as you go. Getting the memories out will trigger you at points, this is good. When we’re triggered its because it provides an awakening experience bringing our awareness to any feelings we have buried away. While the idea of this itself might feel triggering right now, that’s good, take a deep breath and transform these feelings into power. Power to face your skeletons and no longer allow them to be in control. Honest, open-minded, reflection is the key to this activity. Don’t gaslighting yourself, go in looking for answers and inspiration to find who you want to become from your memories and in what way you want them to shape you so you can become powerful. Our written stories can be entirely our own and kept private or shared and who knows, sometimes we can be our own inspiration. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Carla! Carla Barber, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Carla Barber is a mindfulness expert who specializes in emotional intelligence, cognitive behaviors, and analytical thinking. After years of feeling restrained by anxiety, depression, and stress, Carla discovered what happens when we create a tool-belt of techniques, ideas, and activities that can help us to become more resilient to what affects us on a personal level. She devotes her time to help people discover how to create their own tool-belts and identify what's been preventing them from stepping into the life they want. Carla's mission is to inspire more kindness, awareness, and acceptance in the world.

Written by: Catherine Elizabeth Wood, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Recent research tells us more than 3 in 5 Australians are experiencing stress at work. However, according to the research, many employees feel they are unable to ask their boss for help. Work-related stress can lead to toxic workplace culture. Addressing the cause of work-related stress is key to building a trusting environment as a foundation for workplace culture change. Most organisations I have experienced working with, have ignored the toxic workplace culture. This is often because they don’t know how to lead workplace culture change. Workplace culture change begins with you the leader. How? Consider this. Are you setting a good example for your team through your behaviour when you experience stress? When did you last ask for feedback from your team on your leadership? Many leaders do not realise how important it is to regularly assess if they are continuously supporting, influencing, and empowering their team. Leaders need to build self-awareness to enable them to shape the workplace culture through their behaviour, building a trusting environment where employees want to work because they feel valued, listened to, and understood. There are 3 steps you can take to build self-awareness as a leader to shape a future-fit workplace culture, which needs to start at the top. These steps are based on the ABC Technique of Irrational Beliefs (Albert Ellis, 1957). 1. Consider how you currently respond to stressful events and situations. How do you behave when you are stressed? What do you do or say to your team during a stressful event or situation? What feedback would your team give about your behaviour when you are stressed? How do you make your team feel in a stressful situation? How do you want them to feel during stressful situations? 2. Consider how you interpret stressful events or situations. Do you consider if your interpretation of stressful events or situations is realistic or unrealistic? On reflection, do you think you could have interpreted the stressful event or situation differently? If so how? 3. Consider who you are as a leader in how your behaviours impact your team. Which stressful events or situations cause you to feel stressed? What triggers an unhelpful emotional response or negative thought? Which negative thoughts occur when you feel stressed? Which negative feelings and unhelpful behaviours do you think are caused by the stressful event or situation? Ellis believes it is not the event or situation which causes the negative feelings and unhelpful behaviours, but the unrealistic interpretation of the event or situation which causes these. Practicing self-awareness will help bring into focus the unrealistic interpretations of stressful events and situations causing irrational thoughts. As a leader, it is important to have a rational belief system that drives positive thoughts about self, the world and the future causing positive feelings and behaviours. Positive behaviours in the workplace will result in a trusting, engaged and motivating work environment and therefore reduce work-related stress. Reframing a situation means to re-interpret the event or situation in a realistic light. Reflective questions to build self-awareness can help you to remain calm during stressful events and situations using reframing to change your perception of what is happening around you. In summary, building self-awareness will enable you to: Reframe stressful events and situations to have a realistic interpretation. Develop a rational belief system to bring rational thoughts causing positive feelings and behaviours. Modelling leadership behaviours to set an example for your team, is about having a realistic interpretation of stressful events and situations. How you respond to stress will impact how your team respond to stress. Building self-awareness as a leader will influence the workplace culture for the better. Contact Catherine to learn how you can build self-awareness enabling you to lead a future-fit culture of engagement, psychological safety, and motivation. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or visit my website for more info! Read more from Catherine! Catherine Elizabeth Wood, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Catherine Wood, is a leader in mental resilience, science-based coaching through neuroscience, and creating new habits for behavior change. After an acute brain injury as an adult left her having irrational thoughts and self-doubt, Catherine developed an interest in neuroplasticity to understand how she could challenge her self-beliefs, promote helpful thoughts and create new habits for behavior change. Catherine has since dedicated her life to helping people to establish their self-belief in who they are as their best self to drive helpful thoughts and create new habits for behavior change in the workplace and in their personal life. Catherine is the Founder of Life Renewal, the online coaching business combining leadership coaching and team coaching with evidence-based techniques in neuroscience. Catherine helps leaders drive employee engagement by modeling leadership behavior across 7 key leadership skills. Catherine has helped clients through her own coaching programs, workshops, and digital courses including "Mastering Emotional Competence in Leadership." Catherine has been a guest writer for Thrive Global which included an article on "Seeking Opportunities While Navigating Uncertainty", and she hosted a resilience series including "The Neuroscience of Resilience". Catherine's mission: Science-based coaching for collaborative leadership behavior.

Written by: Courtlyn Jones, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. “I love my job. I just don’t always love my clients.” These are the struggles of a Creative. If you’re new to the creative industry, listen up because you’re in for a treat! Having a creative job can make you feel special because of how lucky you are to have talent, vision, and an eye for detail. It can feel almost empowering to know that you have a gift that makes you unique and can actually be used to build a career that you truly love. These are some of the wonderful pros for being a Creative, however it’s not always super liberating. One of the biggest struggles with being a Creative is dealing with clients that make you want to pull your hair out. Working with a difficult client is one of the biggest downfalls. Most of us have been taught to deal with people who are stubborn, lazy, cheap, and/or rude. Sometimes, if we’re extra lucky, there are people who are all four. How fun! If you’ve lived in New York your whole life like me, you can definitely relate. Creatives are usually hired by people who are more strategic than creative. They have an idea in their mind about what they want, but they may not have the talent, skills, or time to bring their vision to life. Unfortunately, a lot of strategic thinkers who lack creativity, never truly understand the value of a Creative or how much time certain projects can take. When dealing with a difficult client, it’s always important to know your worth, and give them your pricing before you start the project. Why is this so crucial? Creatives are constantly ripped off for their services. Some clients even wind up with free work because the Creative made the mistake of giving the client the work before settling on a price or without watermarking their work. Pro-tip: ALWAYS watermark your work when sharing drafts with your clients. Only remove the watermark when you are sending the final work after you have received your payment. How to prevent this? Ask the client for a project scope before you start working. If you can, schedule an in-person or virtual meeting and ask the client to explain the project fully in detail. Take notes during this meeting and ask them for a deadline. Try to estimate how much time you think this project will take for YOU to actually complete it, based on previous experience. If you don’t have any other work experience, think back to school projects or base it off of how well you know your own schedule and work ethic. When you figure this out, give the client your desired pricing. Design projects can range from $45hr—$150/hr based on talent and experience. Do your research and always know your worth. If you need help or advice, The Design Database was designed specifically for moments like this. This platform is a community and support system for Creatives that allows artists and designers to connect and ask for advice. This is especially helpful for new freelancers who are just starting out or recent graduates from art universities or programs who will need the most guidance and support as they navigate their way into this competitive industry. Another common issue with dealing with a difficult client is being able to agree on a vision. Some clients are great and they know exactly what they want and you’ll have great synergy with them. These are the best clients because you can practically read their minds and since you’re both on the same page, it makes execution run smoothly. Then, you’ll have the opposite. Welcome to every Creative’s nightmare! I’ve dealt with all types of difficult clients, but let’s start off with the most common. Let me introduce you to the client that doesn’t know what he/she wants, can’t articulate any thoughts, but hates all of your ideas. This particular client will surely drive you insane. They’re also the ones they will either have no boundaries and will try to contact you at all hours of the day or night, whenever a new idea pops up in their head, or they’ll ghost you without any explanation. This is the client you will always want to avoid. How to spot this client? During the initial meeting, whether it is via phone or email, make sure you ask a lot of questions so you get an idea of what the project is about. If they can’t answer basic questions about what the company/product/brand is about, that’s a big red flag. If after speaking with them, you realize they have no idea what message they want to convey or what they’re representing, move on. This means the client is not ready for the design phase and they will only waste your time. Up next, we have the client who has horrible taste. Yes, they hired you to make a beautiful design for them that is visually-appealing. Yes, you did in fact create a stunning design for them that is super clean and engaging. But no, they want you to change it. They want you to take all of your beautiful colors that complement one another and use colors that clash and burn the eyes instead. What do you do in this situation? First, you have to remember that the client is the one paying for the job to be done their way. It is your job to make the client happy. BUT, you were also hired to give them the best design to appeal to their audience. Sometimes, you may need to push your ideas and sway the client to reconsider your vision and explain it. If you think their idea for red and orange will clash, speak up. Do it professionally, of course, but don’t be afraid to fight back a little. They hired you because they don’t have the creative vision that you do. But also be prepared to lose some of these battles, because the client is always right. No matter how much it pains you, they’re the one paying you. Always be respectful, but remember if you hate it, don’t put it in your portfolio because if you’re not proud of it, you’re not going to be able to defend it when you have your next job interview. Moral of the story is: Being a Creative is not always fun and it’s definitely not easy, but this is why we are so important. We turn people’s dreams into reality and we do what a lot of people are unable to do themselves. Check out my next articles for more tips about surviving the creative industry and visit The Design Database to connect with other Creatives that are going through the same struggles as you. If you’re a graphic designer specifically, you may also want to check out the podcast The Struggle of a Graphic Designer by Lodesigns Studio. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. You may also visit my website for more info! Read more from Courtlyn! Courtlyn Jones, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Courtlyn Jones is a graphic designer and creative entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Founder of The Design Database, a new online platform and community designed to be a support system for Creatives (artists, designers, illustrators, photographers, writers, and more). With her platform, Creatives can connect with clients who are looking to hire now, connect with other Creatives in the community to form partnerships, gain inspiration, and make new friends, and also host and sell their work. She has partnered up with other amazing businesses who share the same mission as her to support Creatives by providing tools and resources to help these independent workers be successful in their careers. Her mission is to help create change in the creative community and bring people together because she believes that when Creatives come together, true magic happens!

Written by: Doctor V , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. In the off days at work, we sometime dream about working somewhere else, and this can include wondering what it would be like to move abroad. The idea can seem quite intoxicating, especially when you speak to people who have had good experiences of doing exactly that. Add in some apathy at work, or with the weather / the area in which you live, and you’re about ready to pack those bags! Working abroad can be one of the best experiences of your life, or a living nightmare – both of which hinge on your preparation before committing yourself. So I want to outline some groundwork here that you can do which will help you decide if it’s for you, or not. Work that is available abroad: You can always move abroad first, then find work – this is the easiest in terms of the job process itself, but you run the risk of delays until you get the job you want. Relocating overseas for a new job is much easier if you work for a global company who have similar roles in other countries. Their HR department is frequently set up to assisting you with visas, leasing arrangements, local contract requirements and may even cover your relocation expenses, especially useful if you don’t speak the local language. ® Simply check out where their offices are worldwide, make some informal enquiries and check out their HR policy on relocation. Watch out for pay, tax and annual leave differences… Global agencies and program providers will also be advertising, but they will charge a fee e.g. TEFL helps people teach abroad. But the list is long, if you look. A work exchange may be possible, where you find someone of a standing professional standing abroad, this usually means your housing (+/- food) is included in the program. Great for the budget, but the housing may not always be in your control. Volunteering or taking a sabbatical is something that people decide to do, in order to give back in some way. This is a very common route o working abroad. Freelance contracting is increasingly popular, especially in the post-COVID era of working remotely. Just watch the time differences, I have personal experience of giving presentations at 4am local time when working for a company across the world! What should you be investigating, before your final decision: I can’t stress enough how important cultural differences are to you enjoying your new life in the job abroad – both on a professional and personal level. The way people relate to one another, and their expectations of you in day to day interactions depend on where you want to go. I’ve learnt this from working with global clients for many years, as well as travelling – but it’s not until you LIVE somewhere that you see beyond the tourist experience you may have had, or the difference from the movie portrayals! Working visas differ from country to country, so it’s important that you do some of your own research to look at the differences here – mostly in the stipulations around timing allowances. Visa applications can be arduous and the process can take months. Obviously, you’ll be thinking of setting up a back account, or leasing a car etc, but you’ll need good credit rating in order to do these things. Well before you move, make sure you’ve considered getting an international credit card to building up your rating which may be recognised abroad. People don’t always consider the personal side of moving for new job. This can make all the difference to whether you stay or go, so think about it: what are expats saying, what do the local TV culture shows talk about, do you know any acquaintances in the area you can meet via Zoom and what’s your strategy with learning the local lingo? Other things to consider: How will Fido get across with you? I advocate you seeking advice from pet travel services well in advance, as these guys have transporting our furry loved ones down to a fine art. Do you keep all your stuff in storage and rent furnished accommodation initially? Do you stay in air B & B until you physically find a suitable long term rental? This is where daydreaming about which towns or places you want to head for is a great thing; you can start looking at random rental options to give you ideas on pricing and quality of accommodation. Also, what transport options are there to your company based offices? The beauty about the contemplation stage, is that you can spend as long as you like in your spare time researching all of the above. Just by tentatively looking into things, various deal-breakers / makers will appear to help re-direct your search and formulate your final decision. Working abroad is one of the most rewarding experiences a person can have, and you’ll create life-long memories, meet incredible people, travel, and also learn about how you can live a more enriched life in general, wherever you finally end up. Do the homework, and you won’t regret it – nothing to lose by looking into things, right? Alternatively, you can always get me involved to help you out from a more holistic and strategic approach! Whatever you decide, don’t give up on your dream. You can book a Free 15-minute chat with Doctor V to discuss your situation. For more info, Blog can be found here , or you can follow Doctor V on Instag ram , Facebook , LinkedIn and visit her website for more info! Read more about Doctor V! Doctor V, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Doctor V is a former Hospice Doctor, turned Relocation Coach and is even completing a diploma on the subject. She has been helping people for over 20 years professionally, and is now passionate about enabling people to find their dream location, without the regret she would often see at the end of life. Her extensive travel expertise includes 53 countries, having lived in 5 and relocated 32 times in one country alone. She now lives in her dream destination and is helping others to find theirs; believing that your happiest environment improves everything else in life.

Written by: Samantha Vlasceanu, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. You know you need to be consistent in producing great content on TikTok. It’s doing amazing things for your business and you want to keep that momentum going! So you set yourself up, get your lighting right, turn on your camera, and...nothing. Nothing comes to mind. There has always been writer’s block and now there’s creator’s block. No matter how hard you try, you cannot think of a single idea. Of course, the more you notice your creator’s block, the larger it gets until you give up in frustration. What if you could have more great content ideas for TikTok than you knew what to do with? Save this article, because when creator’s block strikes, and it will, you can come back to this and get all sorts of great ideas. Without further ado, here are my top seven inspirations for great content! 1. Start with the Basics - Answer FAQ’s Are there questions that keep coming up time and time again? Get on camera and answer those questions. This is a great starting point for video content because it is easy. You’re just talking about all the wonderful things that you know that your audience wishes they knew too! 2. Look to the Internet! There are some really great tools on the internet that can help you see what your audience is searching for. My favourites? Ubersuggest BuzzSumo Google Trends Answerthepublic.com 3. Check out the latest trends on TikTok There are accounts on TikTok that follow trends and keep an eye on what’s popular so that you don’t have to. Wondering how to find them? Search trend alert and you will see some of these accounts. They are a great resource for you to determine what other people are doing on TikTok so that you can jump on a popular trend. 4. Ideas from your FYP This is the most fun type of research! Scroll through videos on your FYP (For You Page). Take note of what other people are doing. Have you noticed the same type of video 3 or 4 times? Looks like you stumbled upon a trend! Can you make that trend work for your business? Jump on it! 5. Look back to move forward Sometimes we have great information but maybe we don’t present it the right way. Or we are inexperienced and now we could do it so much better! Why not take that information that maybe did not garner a huge response and re-work it? Reuse that content in a different format or a different angle and reintroduce it to your audience. 6. Tap into your audience Wondering what your dream client is thinking? Not sure where they hang out when they aren’t watching your videos? Ask them!!! For example, create a post asking your audience what podcasts they’re listening to. Check out those podcasts and see the topics that they cover. Right there, you have gotten some really important insight into what your dream audience cares about, what they’re interested in and you can tailor your future content to engage them. 7. Look to your comments Did someone ask a question in the comments? Answer with a video Did someone make a snarky comment? Answer with a video Did someone comment on their experience and you have an opportunity to add to the conversation? You guessed it, answer with a video. Your comments are opportunities to create a video. Whether you respond to a troll with a funny reply (showing how witty you are) or clear up a confusing point (and show your audience how knowledgeable you are), don’t post on social media and then ignore the engagement that you get. Feeling inspired yet? I bet you are! So go grab your phone and get creating! If you want to truly maximize TikTok for your business, you will love my LIVE workshop! We are going to be diving deep into TikTok. Create content that resonates with your industry. Grow your audience and turn those followers into paying clients. For more information and to see how this program can make a difference for your brand, click here. Follow Samantha on her Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and visit her website for more info. Read more from Samantha! Samantha Vlasceanu, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Samantha Vlasceaunu, The TikTok Coach, is on a mission to convince businesses and brands that TikTok is not just for our teenagers (and no dancing required)! When COVID-19 hit, her other traveling business had to shut down and she had to pivot - FAST. That's when she realized that she'd been organically reaching her audience on TikTok all along and realized the power TikTok could have for businesses if they gave them a chance. Fast forward to today, Sam works with marketing agencies, coaches, lawyers, corporate Brands - you name it! Sam ensures all her clients are using the app with intention as a sales funnel in finding their target audience and coaching the strategies of converting their followers into ACTUAL paying clients.

Written by: Kylie Mort, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. I was thinking about you in the shower this morning. I know, a little creepy, but hear me out. We need to take a break. It’s not you, it’s me, I just need space. I have dreams, I have goals and I’m just not getting around to prioritising myself. I feel trapped. And the thing is, I need to look after myself first if anything is to change. So I was in the shower, thinking about our breakup and how one is to start again. Change can be confronting. We get comfortable, you know. Even if it is not good for us, we fall into a pattern. Simply going through the motions of the same routine. Busy being busy and not really thinking past our immediate needs and responsibilities. We are in a safe zone, focused on what is safe but I need more than this. No good things come from comfort zones and safety. I feel like I’m waiting for life to begin. I need to grow and explore; I need to remember what it is that motivates me to be my best self and define my own unique future. So where to from here? I’m not denying that we have shared some important moments and explored significant ideas. Remember where it all began? The tentative steps we took moving into our new situation. It happened so quickly, and I was initially paralysed by fear and self-doubt, but the serenity of our new experience enveloped me, and I was eager to explore. I reassessed my priorities and consciously took control of my focus. Remember how we discussed what really mattered? What strategies we could use to disconnect and take back control? Those two pivotal questions: Where are your priorities? What controls your focus? Then we explored judgement. This was uncomfortable, wasn’t it? Facing the truth that sometimes your efforts just aren’t enough. Not in the reality of the adult world anyhow. And importantly, how it all comes back to focus. We need to focus on the fact it is the action that is judged, not you as a person. So much of our success or failure relies on the critical nature of our focus. We looked at judgement as a distinct entity, analysing it like an insect under a microscope: Is it significant in the short-term? Are their long-term repercussions? Can you negate these? Does this give you clarity for your next step? We were better together, I admit that. We explored our innate skills, and we were empowered. Personal empowerment and resilience are essential to success because we will inevitably encounter toxic characters. To weather the storms of controversy you must be self-reliant on your own inner strength. Remember how we discussed this through literature? Art depicts life depicts art. You are the protagonist of your own story, and you must have the innate ability to analyse situations individually. We explored elements together but ultimately, I was trying to fortify you, as a unique and independent person: The Analysis – an objective assessment of the situation The Internal – take what serves you and discard the unhelpful The External – make choices about the people involved based on knowledge of their motivations The Time Factor - this too shall pass, and it is perspective that heals wounds I was equipping you with the tools you need to succeed alone. Empowering you to withstand unwarranted criticism and use it for your own enrichment. Because in the end, you need to be your own leader, fulfilling your own purpose. At this point we discussed children and it was provocative, I admit that. There are so many perspectives to consider and what is ideal? I fell back on the analogy of business because this is how I think. I use left-brained logic on the tricky issues as I don’t do emotions well. I have issues…Julia Michaels was right. What mattered was that I believe in you, and you can help others believe in themselves too: Believe in their potential Provide the supports they need Be the safety net Foster their innate self-belief Remind them what is important Perhaps this was a turning point. Perhaps we have different life goals; we have been living in such an insular bubble, it could have been oppressive, or maybe I am just giving voice to my own concerns. The messages are so confusing with everyone claiming they are the authority and this divisive madness that is permeating our relationships. Ultimately, it is so important to stay in touch with our own truth and purpose. We need to be confident in who we are and what’s important to us intrinsically. We spoke about this too remember. Was I pushing you away? Is it a cycle? These are questions we should all ask of ourselves. Our decisions will ultimately impact upon others, this is unavoidable. Yet, we can’t listen to those who are clamouring about their own priorities, we are not drones serving a despotic master. We have the right to put ourselves first, we have human rights and as long as we are doing no harm we should not be coerced and criticised. However, self-assessment must be honest. Are we doing harm? Are we meeting our own needs by unjustifiably damaging others? To be confident in your choices remember these 7 steps: Self-assess honestly Consider all feedback Take responsibility and be accountable Make a choice (and even inaction is a choice) Remember you are loved Take time to heal Speak your truth With internal fortitude we can face our interpersonal battles with fearlessness and during these past months we have faced some intimidating opponents. Collaborating gave us determination and collective power. The unprecedented events of our time have bought out the best and worst in people but united we succeed. We need networks, we need knowledge. Knowledge is power. We explored the three main knowledge banks imperative to our success: Industry Knowledge Stakeholder Motivations Self-Awareness With a detailed analysis of all three areas we can be sure in our methods and of our outcomes. However, we cannot let this descend into an Us-versus-Them Mentality! It does not have to be a mutually exclusive choice; we can do what is right for both of us. I feel at times these lines become blurred by subjectivity and emotive arguments. Comfortable and centred in our own power, we can continue to reach outward without the tribal shaming that can perniciously permeate our perspective. Remember that just because we are not united under one particular label, it does not make us any less connected in other ways. Nor is that label necessarily any less valid. Sadly, I think the world is forgetful of this core reality. Why do people focus on hate? Why focus on the negativity? The media is a heartless machine that preys on the insecurities of the masses. Even if we are growing apart in our opinions, why must we stoop to a level where we are blackening each other’s characters and focusing on difference and identifying lack? I spent so long gathering opinion and researching facts about labels toward the end. I know that there is good to be found in everything and I struggled to reconcile with the way we have fallen so far from where we started. Can you feel the shift? Can you articulate what you stand for? They say if you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything, yet, at the moment I just feel that we are falling, collectively, and who knows how low this is going to go? Therefore I must make stand, for the sake of all. I have considered the options, I have explored tactics and trade-offs but always, it comes back to this, that I have always known, one cannot pour from an empty cup, and I have nothing left to give. Self-care is critical and I have failed to schedule this self-preservation. Just as you should. We all need to. You can do this! I believe in you and the opportunity is now, don’t let it slip away! If there was ever a time to start again on your own, this is it. We can be open to a brand-new world, but we cannot forget the lessons of these past months. Yes, there has been pain, but with pain comes resilience, with resilience comes hope. What else is there to do but grow stronger? We have both been forced to evolve, the world came between us and there is no going back. You must adapt. Take these small wins and achievements of your new position and grow them into tangible benefits. You may not have chosen to continue alone but that doesn’t mean you can’t. Think of the new ways you have found to connect with people, to study, to work, to make time for yourself. You don’t need to return to the same way of thinking. With adaptation comes the ability to pivot. To change your perspective completely and forge a new pathway. There is more opportunity than ever before to change the way you think, the way you operate and the way you work. You have the power. What works for you? You must focus on you and your needs. How can you optimise your own peak performance and efficacy? Personally, I have my best ideas in the shower. It doesn’t quite suit the office 9-5 but after what we have been through, I just can’t see myself going back. Where to from here? Who knows, but I know I will be dictating my own terms and focusing on my needs first. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and visit my website for more information! Read more from Kylie! Kylie Mort, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kylie Mort works with individuals of all ages to embrace and support the Academic Mind, Self-Awareness & the Mind-Body Connection. Assisting individuals by tailoring bespoke mentoring packages supporting academic, physical, and personal advancement and success. Kylie is an International Author and Writer for Global Magazines, writing both academically and creatively to connect with those who seek guidance and inspiration to be their best selves. A former Secondary School Teacher & VCE Leader with 20 years of teaching experience, Kylie is a qualified & registered: School Teacher, Yoga Teacher & Performance Coach. She is also an entrepreneur, leading multiple-award-winning companies. She is currently studying Psychological Science at Deakin University to provide holistic mentoring to her clients better, having spent decades honing her skills in face-to-face teaching, mentoring, and business & company development. Now, she is focused on the human mind and its power to empower through reimaging, redesigning, and recreating.